


Impulsive

by DashFlintceschi



Series: Illnesses/Disabilities Alphabet Challenge [11]
Category: You Me At Six
Genre: Dan's his psychologist, Gen, Josh is a bit of a bitch, Josh is a kleptomaniac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-23
Updated: 2014-06-23
Packaged: 2018-02-05 22:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1834240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DashFlintceschi/pseuds/DashFlintceschi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh is forced by a judge to see Dan, a psychologist, but he's not very cooperative.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Impulsive

**Author's Note:**

> K is for Kleptomania.

Dan sighs as he looks at the young man sitting across from him. He’s in a defensive position. Arms and legs crossed tensely, jaw clenched and refusing to look at Dan.

“Josh, you know the judge is going to keep making you come to see me until I tell him you don’t need these sessions anymore, which I’m not going to do until I truly believe it, so you might as well talk to me,” he urges, and Josh scoffs quietly.

“Fuck off,” he mutters angrily, and Dan sighs again.

“Why do you feel the need to steal things?” He questions, and Josh shrugs.

“Feels good,” he grunts, and Dan nods.

“I know that, it’s one of the criteria I used to diagnose kleptomania. What I want to know is what you believe happened to cause you to feel that impulse in the first place,” he amends, and Josh glares at him.

“You’re the therapist, you figure it out,” he snaps, and Dan pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration.

“Firstly, I’m not a therapist, I’m a psychologist, there’s a difference, and secondly, I can’t figure it out unless you talk to me,” he insists, but Josh just shrugs and stays quiet for the rest of the session.

The next week, Dan glances up from studying Josh’s file, and realises Josh should have arrived for his weekly session almost half an hour ago. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, he’d just mark the session as ‘missed’ and move on to his next patient, but Josh’s sessions are court mandated. He could go to prison if he misses a session, which Dan doesn’t want. Instead, he phones the local police, explains the situation and gives them Josh’s address, with the request for them to bring him in for his appointment.

Thankfully, Josh is Dan’s last appointment for the day, so he’s not with anyone when Josh storms in without knocking and throws himself down onto the couch. Dan nods thankfully to the two officers standing in the doorway, and they nod in return before closing the door for him as they leave. He turns back to Josh and opens his mouth to speak, but falters when he realises that Josh has been crying.

“They weren’t too rough with you, were they?” He asks, worried that the officers were the reason for Josh’s red eyes and miserable expression.

“No, they were pretty cool,” Josh mumbles, looking at his knees.

“Then why have you been crying? Is it the same reason you didn’t turn up?” Dan wonders, and Josh nods.

“I tried to reschedule, but your bitch of a receptionist said she’d have me sent to prison,” he mutters, and Dan frowns.

“You have the direct number to my office, why didn’t you just phone me, instead?” He asks, and Josh shrugs.

“It took what little energy I had to find the number for the reception,” he replies, and Dan sighs.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He offers, and Josh shrugs.

“I think it’s why I steal things. Today’s the anniversary of when I broke up with my boyfriend, and he tried to kill himself. He’s on a locked ward now,” he explains softly, and finally, Dan understands. Stress, guilt and remorse are big factors in kleptomania. Chances are, Josh steals because he feels helpless after his boyfriend’s suicide attempt, and stealing gives him the feeling of control he’s been lacking.

Dan tells Josh all of this, and he shrugs.

“All I know is, when I think about it too much, I want to steal things, and I don’t feel as guilty after I do,” he admits, and Dan nods. It’s exactly what he thought, and now that he’s gotten through to Josh, he doesn’t think it’ll be much longer before he stops making appointments for him.

They spend the rest of the hour talking at length about Josh’s issues. For the first time, Josh leaves with a smile on his face, and every week after that, he’s in a much better mood than Dan’s ever seen him. He’s much more open and willing to talk, and Dan’s prediction comes true. Just two months later, he feels Josh has gotten better, and he sends a letter to the judge, letting him know that Josh has completed his order to Dan’s satisfaction.

Dan can’t hide his surprise the next week, when he checks his appointment book for his next patient, and finds Josh’s name. When Josh comes in and sits down, Dan still looks surprised.

“I know you said I don’t have to come anymore, but I still think I have some stuff to work out, so I made an appointment on my own,” he explains, and Dan grins widely.

“That’s good. That’s very, very good,” he tells him, and for the first time since he met Josh, he truly, truly believes that Josh is going to be absolutely fine.


End file.
